 |
| Bodyguards stand in protective formation around a Mercedes-Benz carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, just before he gets out in front of the North Korean embassy building in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
By Lee Suh-yoon
Human-shielded Mercedes-Benzes and bomb-proof Cadillacs rolled out onto Hanoi's streets, Wednesday, as the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off in Vietnam's capital city.
The two leaders arrived in their separate armored vehicles the day before. Kim arrived on an armor-plated train at Dong Dang railway station at the Vietnamese border at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday. Trump arrived in his Air Force One later that evening.
Kim's armored Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard limousine made brief appearances on Hanoi's streets on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The most striking part of Kim's motorcade was the V-shaped human formation sheathing Kim's Mercedes-Benz just before he got out or boarded. The 12 bodyguards ― all sporting crew cuts with and black suits ― were the subject of much media frenzy in Kim's previous summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Panmunjeom in April and with Trump in Singapore last June.
The guards are North Korea's top elite unit, selected for their good physique and physical strength but also for demonstrating loyalty to the regime. They learn bodyguard techniques through years of intensive training.
 |
| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gets back inside his Mercedes-Benz after visiting the North Korean embassy in Hanoi, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
 |
| Kim Jong-un and his 12 bodyguards head back to the Melia Hotel after his visit to the North Korean embassy in Hanoi, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
Trump may lack the free-moving human entourage but his "bomb-proof" Cadillac limo ― nicknamed "The Beast" ― shields him from any imaginable attack. Since Tuesday, it ferried Trump between the airport, his hotel, the Vietnamese Presidential Palace and finally to his dinner with Kim at Metropole Hotel on Wednesday evening.
Apart from the military-grade armor and multi-layered bullet-proof glass, the Beast has its own oxygen supply and complete "seal-off" doors in case of chemical attack.
Anti-explosion plates and foam encase the fuel tank while the wheels contain steel rims, allowing the car to escape at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour even with a flat tire. It's also equipped with tear gas cannons, a shotgun and its own satellite communication system.
Trump showed off the inside of his heavily armored vehicle to Kim last June during their first summit in Singapore.
 |
| U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport in his armored Cadillac limo, Tuesday evening. Yonhap |
 |
| Armed Vietnamese military personnel stand on guard on top of Sofitel Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
Apart from the Beast, local media and Korean correspondents on the ground also noticed Trump had his Marine One helicopters brought in and put on standby in case of emergency. A common mode of transport for Trump inside the U.S., the Marine One is equipped with antimissile defenses and special electromagnetic radiation shields to allow escape from nuclear blasts.
Vietnamese military personnel stationed at key meeting sites and routes for the two-day summit also heightened the security atmosphere at Hanoi.
In the days leading up to Kim and Trump's arrival, officers combed through these areas with metal detectors. Armed soldiers also took their places under camouflage nets at rooftops around the city ― including on top of Sofitel Metropole hotel where Kim and Trump's first meeting in Hanoi took place.
Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also assured his guests in an online statement that security was the "top priority" for the summit.
